Currently, shells for hearing devices, that is to say the outer shell of an In-the-Ear hearing device or the shell of an earpiece of a Behind-The-Ear hearing device, are in general constructed as a hard shell shaped according to an impression or scan taken of the individual's unique ear canal in a static jaw position. Since the shape of the ear canal varies during normal jaw movement e.g. when talking or chewing, pressure can be exerted by the hard shell of the hearing device on the ear canal, leading to discomfort, sound leakage during jaw movement, and possible generation of disturbing noises when speaking or eating. Furthermore, the hearing device or earpiece may also migrate out of the wearer's ear due to these dynamic changes in ear canal geometry.
Various prior art attempts to mitigate these problems have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,720,242, US 2004/0252854 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,130,437, however the resulting hearing devices are somewhat bulky and are thus little suited for modern so-called “Invisible In the Canal (iiC)” applications, which are inserted deep into the ear canal and extending into the bony region, and therefore require a high level of miniaturisation.
The aim of the present invention is thus to overcome at least some of the disadvantages of the prior art.